Wednesday, January 31, 2007

New year off to a brisk start

TORONTO, January 18, 2007 -- The first half of January yielded 1,592 resale home transactions in the Toronto Area, a six per cent increase over the same time period a year ago, Toronto Real Estate Board President Dorothy Mason announced today.
“The strong activity we saw in December has carried through into the new year,” Mrs. Mason said. “Though these are very preliminary results, it is definitely an encouraging sign for the market to be so active this time of year.”
Toronto’s Downtown East (C08) neighbourhood saw 32 per cent more homes change hands compared to mid-January of last year.
Outside of Toronto, the Meadowvale / Streetsville area of Mississauga saw 38 per cent more transactions compared to the first half of January 2006, while Richmond Hill South (N03) saw an increase of 37 percent over the same timeframe.
The average price of a home remained stable in the first half of January, dipping about one per cent to $340,793 from December, though up 10 per cent over the $310,547 recorded during the first half of January 2006. Active listings sit at 17,283, up slightly from 16,517 a year ago.
Ted Tsiakopoulos, CMHC’s Ontario regional economist, expects price increases to remain healthy.
“Home listings continue to trend higher across the GTA early in 2007,” Mr. Tsiakopoulos said. “This bodes well for consumer choice, and rising inventories will help moderate the growth in home prices during the year. Favourable economic conditions and a healthy balance between demand and supply will ensure that home prices continue edging higher.”TREB’s President noted that all signs point to a healthy market in 2007.
“Activity, price increases and economic fundamentals are all very solid, and now is a great time to take advantage of lots of choice in the market.”
Toronto REALTORS® are passionate about their work. They adhere to a strict code of ethics and share a state-of-the-art Multiple Listing Service designed exclusively for REALTORS®. Serving more than 24,000 Members in the Greater Toronto Area, the Toronto Real Estate Board is Canada's largest real estate board. Greater Toronto Area open house listings are now available on http://www.torontorealestateboard.com/find_a_home/open_house/index.htm

Source: Toronto Real Estate Board

Monday, January 08, 2007

Year ends with a strong December

Year ends with a strong DecemberTORONTO, January 4, 2007 -- Resale housing activity in December increased by four per cent compared to the same month a year ago, Toronto Real Estate Board President Dorothy Mason announced today.
“All year long the market has remained very stable,” Mrs. Mason said. “December’s strong showing gives consumers even more confidence that there is a solid foundation in place as we begin the new year.”
The elevated activity at the end of the year helped propel 2006 to within just 1.2 per cent of the record sales total set in 2005.
Jason Mercer, CMHC’s Senior Market Analyst for the GTA, argued that a strong economy is behind the upbeat performance:
“Households remained confident in their ability to purchase a home last year,” said Mr. Mercer. “Furthermore, steady job growth in a number of different sectors and very low mortgage rates will keep buyers upbeat about home ownership in 2007."
In Don Mills (C13), 54 per cent more overall transactions took place during the month compared to last December, fueled in part by strong condominium activity.
A 54 per cent increase in overall sales was recorded in Etobicoke’s South Humber neighbourhood (W07), also helped by elevated condominium transactions.
East of Toronto, Pickering (E13) showed an overall sales increase of 30 per cent compared to December 2005, while in West Markham / Langstaff (N01), strong condominium sales led to a 63 per cent increase in overall transactions during the month, compared to a year ago.
“The market is on solid footing and is in excellent shape heading into 2007,” TREB’s President said. The winter season is an excellent time to be active in this healthy market, whether starting out as a first time buyer or making a move to a different home.”
Toronto REALTORS® are passionate about their work. They adhere to a strict code of ethics and share a state-of-the-art Multiple Listing Service designed exclusively for REALTORS®. Serving more than 24,000 Members in the Greater Toronto Area, the Toronto Real Estate Board is Canada's largest real estate board. Greater Toronto Area open house listings are now available on http://www.torontorealestateboard.com/find_a_home/open_house/index.htm

Source: Toronto Real Estate Board